Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Stock up on hiking and camping gear at the best places to shop for outdoor equipment deals

Boots, backpacks, bindings, backcountry survival gear, and more — get it all at the best possible prices

Mike Richard
By
Overhead shot of hiking gear laid out in a circle on a wood surface.

Most outdoor gear nowadays — especially the best outdoor gear — is designed to last for years, even decades, of use. Brands like Patagonia, for example, advertise products that are built to survive a lifetime. Hence shopping secondhand or even renting outdoor equipment is almost always a better alternative than buying new. It’s cheaper, helps keep perfectly functional hiking and camping gear out of our landfills, and limits the waste required to produce new products.

There are plenty of places to shop for outdoor gear, both online and off. But, if you’re looking for the very best outlets to find dirt-cheap deals on all kinds of equipment, here are five of our favorites.

Hiker in a red coat walking with a backpack near a backcountry lake, mountains in the background.
Gear Trade

Gear Trade

With more than 20 years in the game, Gear Trade is like the eBay of outdoor gear. It’s a peer-to-peer marketplace where buyers and sellers exchange used, and sometimes new, gear for far less than retail. Most listings are for brand-name products from industry heavyweights such as Mountain Hardwear, Patagonia, and Osprey. Beyond the deeply discounted pricing, the site highlights one of the widest catalogs representing almost every outdoor and adventure sports category. Everything from hiking and camping gear to skis and snowboards (from some of the world’s best ski brands) to fly-fishing essentials is available here at incredible prices.

Related

Two trail runners warming up on a trail near a large tree.
REI Co-Op Used

REI Co-Op Used

Here in the States, REI is a retail juggernaut of the outdoor gear space. The company expanded its already massive catalog by adding the aptly named REI Co-Op Used section to its website. Traded-in gear is personally inspected by REI staff, and the company only offers the best products for resale. Inventory changes frequently, but the categories of used gear are similar to those on the main REI website, including camping gear, skis, outdoor apparel, and more. Additionally, the flat-rate shipping fees can be a steal if you’re shopping for oversized goods like tents, bikes, or paddling gear.

Recommended Videos

Shop REI Co-Op Used Gear

Smiling person in a North Face beanie and winter coat outdoors.
The North Face Renewed

The North Face Renewed

As the name implies, The North Face Renewed is a clearinghouse for the brand’s own previously owned gear. What sets it apart from similar resale sites is that The North Face personally inspects and, if necessary, repairs each piece of gear to bring it back to as close to new condition as possible. On the downside, the selection is limited to only TNF-branded goods. But, if you’re already a fan of the brand, it’s possible to find truly great deals on premium, near-mint outdoor gear.

A skier and a snowboarder coming down a snowy mountain together toward the camera.
Steep & Cheap

Steep & Cheap

Like its parent site, Backcountry.com, Steep & Cheap offers flash sales with, in their words, “new steals every 5 minutes.” It’s an online warehouse of frequently rotated, brand-new goods offered at deep discounts. Most are from major brand names in the outdoor space, including The North Face, Arc’teryx, Patagonia, and the like. The best deals — sometimes as much as 80% off — can be found on gear from the previous season or less popular colors and sizes. If you care more about scoring a good deal than you do about having the “latest and greatest” outdoor gear, this is the site for you.

Facebook Marketplace
PixieMe/Shutterstock

Facebook Marketplace

Somewhere between Craigslist and eBay lies Facebook Marketplace. In our experience, it’s a bit safer than Craigslist, as you can check out the profiles of potential sellers, but it lacks the rock-solid buyer protections of eBay. But if you’re willing to “freestyle” shop, you can score seriously amazing deals on must-have outdoor and camping gear. The key to scoring the best deals is to know exactly what you’re looking for and set alerts, so you’ll be notified immediately once new listings are posted. There are plenty of sellers looking to get rid of perfectly good equipment fast and cheap if you’re willing to be patient and do a little more legwork than the other outlets on this list require. In short: Caveat emptor.

Shop Facebook Marketplace

While you’re restocking your closet for the year, build out your ultimate outdoor and camping gear bucket list by checking out our picks for the best locally owned outdoor gear stores in the U.S.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mike Richard
Mike Richard
Contributor
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
How to pack a tent in a backpack: A pro guide for beginners in 6 easy steps
Tents take up more room in your pack than almost anything else. That's why knowing how to pack one is key
Big camping green backpack and yellow tent in the mountains.

When you’re out for an overnight hike in the wilderness, you need to be amply prepared for the experience. At a minimum, that means having a map for self-navigation, plus packing water, food, a good tent, your best hiking boots — you get the picture. You’ll also want to make sure you pack things properly so you don’t create an overly cumbersome pack, which can lead to a miserable slog along the way, or worse, injury and strain that can bring your planned outdoor adventures to a sudden end.

Learning how to properly pack a camping backpack is just as important as what you put in it. And learning how to pack a tent inside a backpack will allow you to focus on the things that really matter, like spotting wildlife along the way, not tripping over tree roots, and keeping your Instagram stories fresh with new videos from the backcountry. Here's the low-down on how to pack a tent in a backpack like a pro in six easy steps.

Read more
The camping and hiking gear we’re most looking forward to in 2023
new outdoor gear for camping and hiking 2023 pexels jens mahnke 776117

Is there a better feeling than pulling out all of your favorite outdoor gear ready for those first camps or hikes of the season? There's no getting around it; outdoorsmen love outdoor gear. We can't help ourselves. There's always more to buy, always ways to make our hiking setup lighter or our camping setup more comfortable. However you justify it to yourself, you've probably got shelves overflowing with tents, sleeping bags, and stoves.

Well, I have some good news for you because a new year and a new camping season mean — that's right — more gear to be had. Companies around the world are releasing their 2023 outdoor lines, complete with new-and-improved versions of gear we've come to love or exciting new releases that might break the mold. Here are some of our favorite outdoor gear items we're looking forward to this year.

Read more
These are the 10 best cities in the U.S. for hiking and nature-loving city dwellers looking to “touch grass”
When you need restaurants and bars and shops and green spaces and hiking trails, you need one of the country's most hiker-friendly cities.
Hiker in a red hoodie taking photos overlooking San Francisco, California.

Nature-loving city dwellers have it rough. We get it: On one hand, you need to be close to good restaurants, shops, bars, theaters, Targets, rage-fueled wreck rooms — whatever you’re into. But you also want plenty of greenspaces to walk, hike, bike, meditate, and generally be outside, touching the grass, far from the blue light of Tik Tok and the 24-hour news cycle.

Thankfully, we’re living in something of a golden age of urban living. There are dozens, even hundreds, of cities around the United States where you can — to intentionally mangle a metaphor — have your cake and hike it too. With a bit of help from LawnStarter.com, let’s dig into the 10 best cities in the U.S. for hiking trails.
#10: San Diego, California
Overall score: 61.46 out of 100

Read more